


i’ll make you a believer

by trite



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Workplace Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25878913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trite/pseuds/trite
Summary: When Poe floats the idea of turning Hux, everyone thinks he’s crazy, but he’s not easily discouraged.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Comments: 23
Kudos: 116





	i’ll make you a believer

**Author's Note:**

> Post- TLJ, canon divergent for TROS. This is not how Hux became the spy, but it could’ve been!

Everyone thinks it’s crazy when Poe suggests it.

“I really don’t think so. The guy’s a zealot,” Rey says.

“No way, Poe. You’ve seen the propaganda, that’s who he is. Plus it doesn’t sound that different from Snoke, to be honest. It’s just trading one crazy dark force user on a power trip for another,” says Finn. “Uhm, sorry,” he adds, looking Leia’s way.

But Poe’s not buying it. They’ve been getting reports since Kylo Ren’s ascent to power about infighting. Namely, public disagreements that escalate into public acts of violence between Kylo Ren and General Hux. Rumor has it Ren’s more volatile than ever, responding to any minor inconvenience with threats of bodily harm. _At best._ He’s paranoid, convinced General Hux is plotting a coup (which everyone agrees is actually pretty likely) and keeps retaliating to assaults that are mostly in his head.

It pains Poe that Leia has to listen to these reports. Listen to how her son is getting further and further away from the light, from her, from redemption. But as someone who has dealt with Kylo Ren’s particular brand of brutality, he knows there’s no way to endure it forever. He wouldn’t want to relive it and he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy. Literally, doesn’t.

So when he floats the idea of turning Hux, he’s not discouraged by the response he gets. He understands that they think he’s once again picking the riskiest route because it’s the one that will make the best story for future generations, but after obsessively pouring over every intelligence report and studying every single profile they have on the guy, he feels like he knows Hux. Knows exactly what kind of man he is and knows exactly how to play that to their advantage.

They get word that Hux is going to be in Ozoin in two standard days, ostensibly to do some negotiating on behalf of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren – and Poe can’t say that with a straight face, he can’t imagine how Hux does it. It’s surprising because they recently heard that Hux was all but demoted, stripped of his ship, forced to report to some old imperial (and that one’s gotta sting. Being forced to kneel before the old guard.) which had, of course, solidified Poe’s resolve. He couldn’t get Leia to say more than “we’re keeping all our options open,” but he can tell he’s making progress.

Poe volunteers for the mission and because of the time constrains Leia agrees. It’s meant to be a low key endeavor. Observe, don’t approach, that kind of thing. He’s there to gather information, get confirmation on any intel they have and leave. No daring rescues or escapes.

The place of the meet is, to put it delicately, a dump. A cantina that doesn’t look like it had glory days to begin with and has now fallen on hard times. Really hard times. The place’s no better when Poe gets inside. It’s dirty and smelly and the clientele’s in a similar state. He can’t imagine General Hux stepping into this place voluntarily; maybe he really is here to do some business on Kylo Ren’s behalf or maybe Poe just got the coordinates wrong. He walks up to the bar, carefully scanning the crowd until he spots him. Half hidden in a booth, wearing an oversized hooded jacket, is none other than General Hux. _Jackpot._

He orders two drinks and walks toward Hux’s booth. “I’m sorry, you seem awfully familiar. Have we met before?” Poe grins, sliding into the booth, across from Hux.

Hux tenses, looks frantically around the place for a moment before relaxing and saying, “Commander Dameron.”

He looks awful; pastier than usual, dark circles under his eyes, purple bruises showing on his neck where his collar is unfastened, his arm is in a biocast, his hair’s falling on his eyes and he’s evidently on his way to being truly and properly wasted. There’s obviously no arms deal going down here.

“General Hugs, come here often?” Poe says leaning forward and pushing the drink he bought Hux toward him.

Hux follows the movement of his hand with his eyes and pulls the drink he was already nursing closer.

“It’s for you.”

“No, thank you,” Hux says pushing his hair off his face, refastening his collar with a wince.

Poe takes note of that but chooses not to comment. For now. He shrugs and takes a sip of his drink. It’s disgusting.

“Eugh, maybe you were right to turn it down,” he says, pushing it away. “So what’s a pretty face like you doing in a place like this? Doesn’t really seem like your scene.”

Hux flushes prettily and looks away. “None of your business”

“Surely you can afford to get drunk on something better than this place’s best. Is the Order not paying you enough?”

“The First Order pays in experience,” Hux snaps, as if he’s winning an argument.

No wanting to touch that, Poe says, “maybe you just want some time away from the boss, huh? I get it. Everyone needs some R’n’R occasionally, especially if they’re working for Kylo Ren.”

Poe can tell he’s getting under the guy’s skin, getting him to engage when he says, “I don’t work _for_ Kylo Ren. I serve the First Order.”

“Fine, fine. You work _under_ Kylo Ren. Can’t be fun, being under that guy. He doesn’t seem like he’d be a very considerate lover,” Poe says, grinning.

Hux is properly fuming now when he says, “you moronic–”

“Hey hey, I’m sorry,” Poe cuts him off, but Hux only stares at him and stands to leave.

“No no no,” Poe says, panicking. He’s gotten nothing so far. “Don’t go. I’ll be quiet, no more Kylo Ren talk.” He’s racking his brain for something else he can say to get Hux to stay, when he surprisingly sits back down. Poe didn’t think it’d be that easy, but he figures maybe Hux just doesn’t want to drink alone.

Of course, Poe has no intention of keeping his promise of being quiet, so trying a different approach he asks, “So is it some secret, illicit booty call you came here for?”

Hux scowls at him and says nothing.

“You don’t have to tell me, I’ll guess. I’m pretty good at this,” Poe says, deliberately obnoxious. “Got it. The twi’lek by the door, right? No no – wait. You strike me as a strictly-human kind of guy. You all First Order types are. The blond guy with the orange drink, then. Am I right?”

He’s surprised when Hux turns around to see who he means and scoffs.

“No? Not your type? Help me out then. What’s your type?”

Hux stares at Poe a beat too long, licking his lips before saying, “just shut up. You’re terrible at this.”

Oh, it’s like _that_ , huh? Interesting.

“How ‘bout the—?” Poe starts.

“It’s no one. You’re not going to find anyone in this place I’m supposed to be meeting with, for professional reasons or – otherwise.”

“What, they stood you up? That’s okay. I can fill in for them,” Poe says, leaning forward, sliding his hands close to Hux’s on the table and smiling his most winsome smile.

Hux responds by blushing a pretty shade of pink and looking away, which confirms _something_ at least.

“Seriously, though. I get wanting to get away from Kylo Ren. I know firsthand how helpless he makes you feel. I can’t imagine repeatedly feeling like that. I can’t imagine having to get used to feeling like that,” Poe says earnestly.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know he shouldn’t be Supreme Leader. I know you guys are very fond of murder, but I figure this is one position you should get by merit.”

Hux scoffs. “This pathetic, transparent attempt at manipulation is not going to work on me.”

“I’m just saying, since you serve the First Order, you have to know Kylo Ren is going to run it into the ground.”

“Isn’t that what your side wants? You just have to wait him out, then. Or are you only interested in wiping out the First Order if you get to claim credit for it?” Hux asks with a sneer.

“I’m not willing to wait him out while he’s out there killing people.”

Hux ignores him and says, “he was Supreme Leader Snoke’s apprentice. It was what Snoke would’ve wanted.”

“Snoke would’ve wanted Kylo Ren to kill him? Is that some dark side thing I don’t understand?” Poe asks.

“Ren didn’t do it. The scavenger did.” But Hux looks completely unconvinced by his own lie.

“Oh come on, we both know what really happened. You can talk to Rey herself, if you want. She’ll give you all the details. He had no problem killing his powerful force-user mentor; you think he’ll hesitate to kill you?”

“You can’t say that. That’s treason,” Hux says urgently, leaning forward.

“Maybe for you, buddy. Not for me,” says Poe, but he’s thinking _Fuck, maybe Rey was right_. Maybe this guy’s a true believer. Maybe there’s nothing for Poe to be doing here. “Anyway, just something to think about.”

As Poe is standing up to leave, Hux asks suspiciously, “wait, where are you going?”

“Why? You wanna come with?”

“No, it’s bad enough I sat here having a drink with you.”

“Suit yourself,” Poe says, leaving the cantina. He doesn’t look back.

Finn kicks him under the table and when Poe goes to kick him back he points at Leia, who’s looking at Poe patiently, as if waiting for something. _Fuck._

“Do you agree with Rose, Commander Dameron?” she says, mildly amused. She knows he has no idea what she’s talking about.

“You’ve been distracted lately,” Finn says, after the meeting. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just – have a lot on my mind.”

“Is this still about not being able to turn General Hux to our side? Poe, you need to cut yourself some slack. A guy like that, raised on First Order propaganda? He’s not gonna abandon his ideology after one conversation. You’re lucky he didn’t have you shot. Probably because he didn’t have his guards with him to do his dirty work.”

“Maybe he just likes me.” Poe’s been replaying their conversation trying to figure out something else he could’ve said. Hux might not like him, but he likes _something_ about him and that’s good enough for Poe.

“You think everyone likes you, even when presented with evidence to the contrary. I agree with you that we can use his hatred of Kylo Ren to our advantage, but getting him to defect seems like a step too far,” Finn says.

“I know. I just felt like I was onto something. I still do, to be honest.”

“Hey, I don’t blame you. I wish there was a way we could mass-reach stormtroopers. Get them to come to our side. I know a lot of them would if we just showed them that life outside the Order exists, that life outside _following orders_ exists. The first time I made a mistake and realized I wasn’t going to reconditioning? I replay that moment all the time and I wish I could somehow share it with them.”

“You won’t need to share it; they’ll each get their own moment. Their second chance,” Poe says, fiercely believing it. That’s all anyone needs, a second chance.

He’s having a post-mission drink and flirting with a very charming Zeltron when a possessive hand lands on his shoulder, accompanied by a familiar voice. “I’m sorry. He’s with me.”

Poe freezes, amusement at hearing Hux say those words buried deep under a thick layer of panic. _How did the First Order find us?_

“Hey there, Hugs,” Poe says, surreptitiously scanning the cantina. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” He’s surprised there isn’t a small army of stormtroopers at his back when he turns around.

“It’s just me,” Hux says, sitting down in front of him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I want to – talk.”

“Okay, yeah, we can do that. What do you wanna talk about?” He glances around the cantina one last time before giving Hux his full attention. He has a feeling this is going to be interesting. Hux looks agitated, keeps clenching and unclenching his hands, glancing around the place. He’s exhausting to watch.

“I want to know what you were getting at last time,” but he doesn’t give Poe a chance to reply. “Were you hoping to convince me to defect? You’re right that Kylo Ren doesn’t deserve to be Supreme Leader.” He anxiously looks around before adding, “but I would _never_ join your little band of rebels. The only reason why you would even consider that is because you don’t know what it’s like to believe in something, to dedicate your life to something bigger and better and far greater than anything and everything you could ever hope to accomplish. So don’t bother with your little recruiting speeches, Dameron. I’m not interested.”

He seems to be mostly venting at Poe, not really needing his input. It’s a one-sided conversation, that in Poe’s opinion he could’ve had with his own reflection in the privacy of his quarters. It’s fine with Poe, but he still says, “should we be having this conversation here?”

Hux is not wearing anything that obviously identifies him as First Order, but there’s no mistaking him for anything _but_ First Order.

Hux glances around and steps away from Poe. “I just wanted to make it clear to you that I won’t be swayed by subpar inspirational speeches and a charming smile.”

“You like my smile?” Poe says, smiling brightly at Hux, as if he didn’t already know it. When it doesn’t get him a reaction, he says, in a serious tone, “Hux, do you _want_ to defect?” and to his surprise Hux doesn’t outright say no.

“Why would I want to join the losing side?”

“Because it doesn’t have Kylo Ren,” Poe replies easily. “That’d be enough for me.”

Hux swallows visibly and looks away. “I would never just – leave my whole life behind. I couldn’t.” He sounds more resigned than anything. Hopeless.

“Soon enough you won’t have a life at all,” Poe says pointing at Hux’s neck. “He’s going to kill you. One of these days, he’s going to kill you.”

“I won’t betray the Order. Whatever you thought about your convincing skills, whatever ideas you had about the kind of person I am, just know that you were wrong,” Hux says, standing up to leave.

“Look, just know the offer is on the table. Indefinitely. Think about it,” Poe says, but Hux doesn’t turn around.

The First Order is having some sort of gala. The kind of event where they put on their best faces and hide away their bloody hands. It’s crowded enough that, if Poe’s careful, he won’t get immediately recognized. Kylo Ren is not in attendance, clearly finding this kind of thing to be beneath him, but Hux is. When he told Finn about his plan to approach Hux, Finn was adamantly against it. A few moments ago, when Poe left him inside, he was reluctantly on board.

Hux is checking his datapad, distracted by something in it. He’s outside, half-hidden in a dark balcony, away from everyone else. Poe figures he’s not going to get a better opportunity. After Hux puts away his datapad, Poe approaches him from behind; digs his blaster into the small of his back and twists his left arm behind him. Poe’s not in the mood to get stabbed tonight. “Hey hey, it’s just me.”

“Dameron,” Hux says from behind gritted teeth, but he slowly relaxes.

“If I let go of you, will you stab me, shoot me, punch me and/or inflict pain using some other creative method I’m not thinking of?” Poe asks.

“ _Yes._ ”

“Clearly you want me to keep manhandling you, then.”

“ _Fine._ Just let me go.” When Poe steps back, Hux says, “are you trying to get us both killed? Get out of here.”

“I’ve been thinking about what you said the last time–”

“Clearly you haven’t. Or else you’d know being here is pointless and a waste of your time. Ren’s not even here.”

“I didn’t come for him. I came for you. I wanna talk. Somewhere less exposed, though. Come on, we can get a drink in your room,” Poe says.

“Absolutely not,” Hux splutters, flushing all the way to his ears. Poe likes it.

“No funny business. Just a drink, some conversation.”

Hux says nothing, but when Poe turns around, he follows.

“You’re out of your mind if you think you’re going to get First Order secrets out of me,” Hux says back in his room. The Order has clearly spared no expenses. “Is that your plan? To get me drunk and get me to spill valuable First Order intel?”

For someone supposedly worried about being forced to commit treason, Hux looks oddly relaxed. As relaxed as Poe’s ever seen him, anyway. “I just wanted to know how our favorite Sith wannabe is doing. Y’know, out of genuine concern, but I get it, no politics, no First Order, no Resistance. Just two old friends having a drink.”

“Old friends?” Hux asks, as if the word is both foreign and disgusting to him.

“Hey, we can be friendly,” says Poe, unabashedly flirting. He’s not going anywhere with it, obviously, but Hux hasn’t told him to stop yet. “Would you believe me if I told you that anything you tell me here, in this room, won’t up end in the hands of the Resistance?”

“No, it would be incredibly idiotic of me to believe that and incredibly idiotic of you to keep that promise. Anything you tell me, I will tell the First Order,” Hux says.

“Okay, fair enough, but if you want to vent, now’s your chance. Can’t imagine you guys often get permission to speak freely in the Order. So, how about it? I would offer to go first but you all but promised to tattle to your First Order buddies.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone in the First Order about this little meet,” Hux says bitterly.

“By the way, how did you find me, the last time?” Poe asks.

“What does it matter? I didn’t tell anyone about it, either. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“No, but I appreciate it.”

“I didn’t do it for you, you self-centered dolt,” Hux bites out.

“I don’t have to care about your reasons, I can still appreciate it,” Poe says, just to be contrarian. “What’s your new boss called, by the way? That old imperial?”

“Pryde,” Hux says and scowls. “A complete relic.”

“Why does Kylo Ren have you reporting to him?” This is all information that they either have or could easily get; he just wants to keep Hux talking.

“Because I was the wrong type of sycophant. Pryde was friends with my father,” Hux says, as if that explains everything.

Poe has read and heard enough about Commandant Hux, about his relationship with his son, about the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, so Poe guesses it does explain everything.

“The current iteration of the First Order is very different from the First Order I pledged to bring to glory,” Hux says, like a confession. He sounds completely disillusioned with his fascist organization.

“How so?” Poe asks and Hux glowers at him. “Hey, you brought it up, not me.”

Hux takes a drink and says, “Kylo Ren has no vision. He just expects everything to happen by the will of the fucking force. He’s using the Order to fulfill his childish whims. Everyone knows that. Everyone has to see that, but you can’t even think it. Not when he’s constantly poking and prodding inside people’s minds. You’re not even safe inside your own head.”

“Is he gonna – y’know, find out about this? About us?”

“There is no ‘us,’ Dameron,” Hux says, fiercely.

 _Do you want there to be?_ He refrains from saying. “Is he gonna find out we talked?” he clarifies.

“No, I can conceal some things from him. It’ll make the process more painful when he feels like – testing my loyalty, but he won’t find out.” Hux is completely matter of fact about it. _Just some routine torture at the hands of my boss. No big deal._

“I know you don’t want any emotional, inspirational speeches, but Hux, you need to leave. Are you really willing to withstand that for as long as he lives? What for? You said it yourself, it’s not the First Order you pledged your life to anymore. Are you really willing to die for Kylo Ren’s Order? For his vision, however lacking you find it?” Poe says, getting closer to Hux but not crowding him.

“The Order is more than one man; the Order is more than Kylo Ren.” It sounds like a mantra. Something Hux has repeated over and over, but has not yet managed to convince himself of its truth.

“The Order is more than the person it chooses to be led by? Is that what you’re telling me? That the Order is more than its collective lack of common sense?” Poe says. _I can do this, I can do this_ , he thinks. “Whatever great things you were hoping to accomplish with the Order, they’re not happening now. Your only hope is – what? Kill Kylo Ren and hope he somehow doesn’t see it coming? Outlive him and hope the Supreme Leader title goes to you and not some old guard imperial? And in the meantime you’ll just be Kylo Ren’s punching bag, huh? We both know you’re too smart for that.”

“I know what you and your friends think of me. That I’m some deranged zealot, brainwashed from birth. That I’m an irredeemable monster. Well, you’re right and I am not looking to be redeemed, anyway. I’m not your stormtrooper. There is no life for me outside of the Order. The Order is my life. I’m willing to die with the Order and for the Order. The Empire–”

“Oh, cut the bantha shit,” Poe says, having had enough of trying to reason with Hux. “You didn’t even experience the so-called glory days of the Empire. Look, your dad? He’s just dead. He didn’t accomplish the great things he set out to accomplish and he’s not missed by anyone. He’s just resented by you. And if you stay with the Order you will die not having done a single decent thing in your life. And you won’t be remembered and you won’t be missed by anyone. You won’t ever have been loved.” Laying it on a bit thick, but Poe figures, whatever works.

“Oh, I see. And if I defect to the Resistance, I’ll find true love?” There’s some indecipherable emotion in his voice when he says it, but it’s there one instant and gone the next.

“Well, I’ve heard they have some very handsome, very charming pilots over there,” he tries with a grin, but Hux ignores him, looking somewhere over Poe’s shoulder. “Ask yourself this, has it been worth it? Has it gotten you where you wanted? How likely is it to get you there?”

Hux finishes his drink and steps away from Poe. He goes to sit on the bed, his elbows on his knees, looking at the carpet. His hair is falling on his eyes in a way that Poe can admit, if only to himself, is fairly attractive. He’s not a bad-looking guy, actually. His personality’s not great but if Poe could literally seduce him away from the First Order, he wouldn’t mind doing it.

After a long moment, Hux looks up, a manic intensity in his gaze. “I can bring down Kylo Ren from the inside. I’m useless on the outside.”

Poe sighs. “I feel like we’re having two different conversations here. Are you even listening to what I’m saying?”

“Are _you_ even listening to what I’m saying? I can help you bring down Kylo Ren from the inside.”

Poe looks at him for a long moment, frowning. “Wait, are you saying you would–?”

“Don’t. You know perfectly well what I’m saying,” Hux says, standing up and pacing.

“Hugs, that’s not–”

“Are you turning it down? Are you turning my help down? I’m just too morally reprehensible for you to deal with,” Hux says, clearly offended.

“That’s not it at all, but we’re talking about keeping you alive. How are you gonna keep Kylo Ren from finding out?”

“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t think I could do it. If I do this, though, I want him dead,” Hux says, something frenzied and deeply off-putting in his eyes.

Poe instinctively steps back. “Man, I can’t promise you that.”

“If I do this, I want him dead. Not getting all pardoned up because he’s Organa’s son.”

“Look, he’s Kylo Ren, right? He’s not going down without a fight, so chances are…” Poe makes a motion with his hands that he hopes effectively conveys ‘death.’

“That’s not good enough. I want your word.” Hux moves closer until he’s crowding Poe against the wall. Kriff, he’s so intense.

“Hux, I’m not going to promise to kill someone for you. I can promise that if you help us, we can negotiate a pardon for you.”

“I don’t care about that,” Hux says. Poe frowns, realizing how little he understands Hux.

“I can promise you he’s not going to get all pardoned up. Only one bad guy gets to do that, right?” When Hux looks utterly unimpressed, he adds, “I don’t know what I can say to convince you, but this is your best bet if you wanna take down Kylo Ren.”

When he meets him outside Finn sighs, visibly relieved.

“Poe!” he says, coming closer and ineffectually checking him for injuries. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, buddy. I’m fine.”

He looks at Poe intently for a long moment but he must be satisfied with whatever he sees, because he pats Poe in the back and says, “How did it go?”

“Well, he’s in,” Poe tries to say as casually as he can, but the expression on Finn’s face makes him crack up and he doesn’t stop grinning all the way back to the base.

Hux sends them new intel on First Order activity like clockwork. Shipping routes, hidden bases, secret allies, any weakness he perceives the Order to have. It’s often enough that by now the First Order has to know they have a leak. He deals only with Poe, per his terms, and everyone is more than okay with that. No one really wants to deal with Hux. Necessary evil and all that.

They check and double check and triple check everything Hux sends them. So far his info has been good, but no one is ready to trust him. Poe wants to, though. Not just because it’s good for his ego, makes him feel good about himself that _he did that._ He convinced Hux to help them, convinced him to be on the right side of the war. Sure, he didn’t change the guy’s entire belief system, but baby steps. However, the real reason he wants to trust him is because he likes Hux.

Likes him enough that he’s constantly worried about him. He knows this is Hux he’s talking about, but Poe still worries that he’s not being careful enough. That he’s gonna get caught and tortured and killed and Poe feels responsible for the guy now. He got him into this and he wants to get him out in one piece. The last time they spoke, Poe told him that if he got made, if he needed the Resistance to get him out, he just needed to say the word and they would figure something out. But doing that didn’t have the desired reassuring effect on Poe. He knows better than to think Hux is ever gonna ask for help or even admit that he needs it. He’s as committed to taking down Kylo Ren as he was to taking down the Resistance. Just another cause he’s willing to die for.

They don’t usually meet face to face, everyone agreeing that it’s too dangerous. Everyone, that is, except Hux. He insisted that this information could only be handed out in person and Poe didn’t want to press the issue. He had a feeling that Hux maybe needed to get away for a while or was looking for, in his own repressed way, some reassurance, some human connection and Poe was happy to oblige.

When Hux ushers him inside the room, Poe doesn’t know what to say. He stares at him for a long moment and says, “ _Fuck,_ Hux.”

He’s not wearing his uniform; instead wearing what can only be described as lounge wear. General Hux wearing _lounge wear_ is not something he ever thought he’d get to see. His shirt exposes his neck and part of his collarbones in a way that allows Poe to see his bruises in perfect detail. Besides what Poe has taken to calling ‘his usual bruises’ are distinctly finger-shaped bruises that go all around his neck. Kylo Ren is clearly not limiting himself to the force these days.

“May I offer you something to drink,” Hux says politely, but he’s clearly got a head-start on Poe.

“I’m good. Thanks,” says Poe, going to sit next to Hux on the bed, because there’s literally nowhere else for him to sit. “So –” he starts, but Hux cuts him off.

“Right. I have something for you,” Hux says, producing a shiny, black sphere. “It’s a Sith relic of some sort. It’s what Ren spent the past month obsessing over. Maybe your Jedi can get something from it.”

“Won’t he notice it’s gone?” Poe asks, looking at it carefully, not wanting to touch it.

“No, he’s moved on now,” Hux says, placing it on the bed. “He’s gone who knows where.”

“Okay well, thanks. Hopefully Rey will know what to do with this,” he says, finally grabbing it. Of course nothing happens when he touches it. Logically Poe knew that, Hux held it in his hands and he’s fine.

He goes to put it in his bag and Hux says, “you’re leaving?” in an honest and open tone of voice he wouldn’t allow himself if he were completely sober.

“Nope,” he says, lying sideways on the bed. Though the truth is that every extra moment he spends here is a moment where he’s putting them both in danger. “How are you? How have you been?”

Hux laughs and says, “getting better every day.”

Poe reaches out, places his hand on his knee and tells him, wearily, “you’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“Not if I get him killed first,” Hux says, amused. When he looks at Poe, he says, “what do you suggest I do, then?”

“Leave with me now. Don’t go back to the First Order.”

“I can’t. You don’t have enough to defeat him yet. I haven’t given you enough.”

“And you won’t, if you’re dead.”

“You just really want me to go live in depravity with you, don’t you, Dameron?”

“Hey, that’s not true. I’d make an honest man out of you,” Poe jokes and he really should’ve seen it coming. He usually does, but he’s completely surprised when Hux stands in front of him, grabs his shoulder for balance and awkwardly sits on his lap. The guy is all limbs and it’s not the smoothest move Poe’s seen.

He kisses Poe, all teeth. He tastes like cheap liquor and when Poe doesn’t kiss back, he pushes Poe hard against the mattress. Goes to kiss and bite his neck, while he unbuttons Poe’s shirt. Poe grabs his wrists to put a stop to it and he can tell Hux is angry now, but Poe doesn’t want to be a part of this particular bad idea.

As soon as Poe lets go of his wrists, Hux gets his hands inside his pants and when Poe doesn’t get hard fast enough to his satisfaction, he pinches his thigh and says, “come on. What is wrong with you?” Truth is his technique leaves a lot to be desired. It’s the angriest handjob Poe’s ever gotten.

He stills Hux’s hands and says, “hey hey, why are you doing this?”

“Because I want – something,” he says, desperately. “I’m obviously not going to get what I want. He’s going to win.” He stands up, says, “never mind. You should leave.”

“I can stay a little longer.”

“I don’t want you to,” Hux says, scowling.

“Come on, I came all the way out here just to see you.”

“You came out here to get some information and you have gotten it.”

“Sure, but I also wanted to see you.” Poe says, realizing that he actually means it.

“And now you have.”

Poe sighs. He gets it. Hux is feeling embarrassed and humiliated and Poe sticking around is only going to make it worse.

When he leaves, Hux walks him out and because Poe doesn’t have the greatest impulse control he crowds Hux against the doorframe, rubs the pad of his thumb over his lower lip and pulls him down until their lips meet. They kiss carefully and slowly, almost tenderly, and Poe thinks _next time._

Of course the next time Poe sees him, he’s dragging him (against what Hux claims are his wishes) to the Falcon.

“You got your wish,” Poe says later, much later.

“He’s dead?” Hux asks, with the kind of manic fervor that makes Poe want to leave the room.

“Yeah. Yeah, he is.”

Hux breathes shakily a couple of times and for a moment Poe is convinced he’s going to cry. “Good,” is all Hux ends up saying.

“What are you going to do now?” Poe asks.

Hux shrugs, it looks completely unnatural. “Stand trial. I don’t know. I didn’t really think–”

“We’re gonna get you that pardon.” Poe’s not actually one hundred percent sure they will or even that they should, but he gave Hux his word and he’s going to try his best and then some.

“Even if you don’t, it’s fine. If I get executed after this, I’ll be vindicated about the New Republic being blood-thirsty hypocrites.”

“Always looking on the bright side, huh?” Poe jokes, but Hux’s words make him uneasy. The casual way he says it. _If I get executed If I get–_

“I’m a changed man, Dameron. All thanks to you.”

Poe laughs. “Look at that. You even got a sense of humor. Clearly I’m a great influence.” He bites his lip and watches as Hux follows the movement and swallows. “You wanna go and celebrate?”

“I’m not sure I will find your people’s way of celebrating particularly enjoyable.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure I can make you enjoy it,” Poe says, letting his voice go low. Like a secret and a promise.

Hux licks his lips and says, “will you?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Yes, I want you to make me like it,” Hux says breathlessly, an anxious energy to him now. Poe wants to contain it, absorb it with his hands and his mouth and his touch.

He moves closer until he’s crowding Hux against the table and keeps pushing until Hux gets the hint and sits on top of it, his legs going around Poe’s hips. Poe slowly leans forward, giving him a chance to back away. Though he doesn’t think he will; he can feel Hux hard against him and he’s barely touched the guy.

Right before their lips connect, Hux whispers, “tell me how he died.”

Poe groans inwardly, not sure he wants to have some celebratory death-affirming sex with Hux, after all. He pulls back and looks at him, his bitten lips, his flushed cheeks, his dark pupils. _Kriff_ , he looks really fuckable.

Poe says, “no, don’t make it weird. We’ll work on your dirty talk later. Shut up now,” and pulls their lips together to make sure Hux does.


End file.
